Santa Duck

Now is the perfect time to pick up storytime supplies for next year’s Christmas theme. I found Santa Duck a little too late to use this year, but I’m ready for next December! The picture book, Santa Duck, is cute on its own but I have my own take on it to use with puppets and props. You’ll find these props really cheap right now.

You’ll Need:

a duck puppet

a Santa hat

a Santa outfit (optional: I found one to go over a diaper for 99 cents!)

stackable Christmas boxes (I found this set for $4.00)

4 other farm animal puppets and gifts to fill the boxes (see story)

Santa puppet (or boy puppet with beard)

My version of Santa Duck involves a little more mystery. Use your duck puppet for this story:

Nicholas Duck woke up on December 24 and gasped. (Can you gasp with him? I like to show them the Home Alone face and gasp together.) He realized that he never told Santa Claus what he wanted for Christmas. “If I don’t tell him what I want, it’s going to be another year of socks and underwear,” he said. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Nicholas opened the door and there was a beautifully wrapped gift. “I wonder what this is?”

Nicholas opened the gift and there was a Santa outfit. “Oh! A cozy, warm official Santa hat!” he said as he put it on. “I’m going to go find Santa,” he said as he left his house.

He sang his favorite song as he skipped through the farm. “Jingle quack, jingle quack, jingle all the quack!”

(This is where you use 4 puppets you have on hand.) Just then Squirrel came running down from a tree and said, “Santa Duck I need to tell you something.” Squirrel whispered something into Nicholas’ ear then ran away. “How strange!” said Nicholas.

He kept skipping across the farm singing his favorite song, “Jingle quack, jingle quack, jingle all the quack!”

Just then Rabbit came up to Nicholas and said, “”Santa Duck I need to tell you something.” Rabbit whispered something into Nicholas’ ear then ran away. “How strange!” said Nicholas.

He kept skipping across the farm singing his favorite song, “Jingle quack, jingle quack, jingle all the quack!”

Just then Pig came up to Nicholas and said, “”Santa Duck I need to tell you something.” Pig whispered something into Nicholas’ ear then ran away. “How strange!” said Nicholas.

He kept skipping across the farm singing his favorite song, “Jingle quack, jingle quack, jingle all the quack!”

Just then Dog came up to Nicholas and said, “”Santa Duck I need to tell you something.” Dog whispered something into Nicholas’ ear then ran away.

“That’s it!” said Nicholas. “I can’t take it anymore!” He ran away from all the farm animals as fast as he could…until he ran into Santa himself! “No way!” said Nicholas.

“Way!” said Santa. “Has anything strange happened to you today?”

“Why yes!” said Nicholas. “Ever since I put on this hat all the farm animals have been coming up to me and telling me what they want for Christmas!”

“I sent that hat to you this morning,” said Santa. “I needed help getting presents ready for the farm. Do you remember what the farm animals told you?”

“Sure!” said Nicholas. He whispered to Santa.

“Wow! What a great memory you have!” said Santa. “Thanks for your help!” he said as he disappeared.

Just then Nicholas realized that he forgot to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. “Santa!” Nicholas yelled. “Come back!” Nicholas walked back home and found a note on his door. (You can print out a note to unfold and read to the kids.) It said, “Dear Santa Duck, Thank you so much for your help! I couldn’t have done it without you. May I count on you again next year? Gratefully, Santa.” Nicholas felt so proud he forgot what he wanted for Christmas. Getting to help Santa was the best gift of all. He got into bed and sang his favorite song, “Jingle quack, jingle quack, jingle all the quack!”

When he woke up in the morning, he found a stack of presents for the farm. (You can take each of the animals to open their gift. You can have the children guess what’s in each box.)

Squirrel was first. He opened up his gift and it was a bag of peanuts. “Oh! This was just what I wanted!”

Rabbit was second. He opened up his gift and it was a bunch of carrots. “Oh! This was just what I wanted!”

Pig was third. He opened up his gift and it was a bag of ready-to-make mud. “Oh! This was just what I wanted!”

Dog was fourth. He opened up his gift and it was a ball. “Oh! This was just what I wanted!”

Nicholas was fifth. He opened up his gift and it was cracked corn. “Oh! This was just what I wanted! Merry Christmas!” said the new Santa Duck.